Over the last 21 years, promoter Conor Donovan has been putting on weekly acoustic gigs in Doyle’s pub, next to Trinity College.
A popular hang-out with students, tourists and music fans keen to check out the next big thing, The Ruby Sessions have hosted pretty much any notable Irish artist you care to name – including Damien Rice, Hozier and Lisa Hannigan – as well as international stars like Ed Sheeran, Mumford and Sons and Gabrielle Aplin.
And despite the temporary closure of its venue due to the pandemic, the night has moved online to great success, hosting performances from their usual mixture of old friends and up-and-comers and raising over €10,000 for the Simon Community – a charity the night has supported for many years.
“It was very important to me to keep The Ruby Sessions going,” says Conor Donovan, “and I felt we had a real opportunity to rise to the challenge as we've always done.
“There's a reason why we're still here after 21 years and that's that we've rolled with the punches, though no bigger punch than this one.”
The Ruby Sessions At Home is now in its ninth week, with tonight’s show welcoming two American stars in Nathaniel Rateliff and Ashley Campbell – daughter of country legend Glen.
In previous weeks, the series has been graced with the likes of The Coronas, Gavin James and Villagers, as well as relative newcomers like Saint Sister, Junior Brother and Join Me in the Pines.
“When this happened I went through all the acts that have played [the night], and I didn't want this to be a roll of honour,” Conor says.
“I wanted it to be true to what we do, which is to champion up-and-coming talents. That's why JC Stewart was on with Gavin James. Going forward, there will be a lot more of that.”
Although the lockdown was declared by Leo Varadkar in his speech in Washington DC on March 12th, Conor and his team – Marc Aubele, Ger Murphy and Shauna Watson – could see what way the wind was blowing. They had already pulled their gig on the 10th, despite the fact that acts had travelled from the US, Britain and Belfast.
“We hoped that we might be jumping the gun and that we'd be back in a couple of weeks, but no-one could have predicted that we'd be off [for so long],” says Conor.
“We very quickly realised that this was going to go on a lot longer, and dusted ourselves off.”
Conor says that he recognised that the live-streaming market was already pretty “saturated” by that point, so rather than doing something ramshackle that didn’t really add to what was already available, the team decided to be a bit more creative and produce what is effectively an online TV show.
He hosts from his own home and introduces pre-recorded and edited performances from the guests – some of whom have used the opportunity to do more than just a simple play-through of their songs.
Conor O’Brien from Villagers and Lisa Hannigan are two of the artists that have layered clips of themselves on top of each other, enabling them to pull off complex harmonies, or to accompany themselves on more than one instrument.
“We treat it as a broadcast – it's not 100% live but that gives us a lot more leeway [to be creative],” says Conor.
“You can see what Conor from Villagers did, or what Lisa Hannigan did – we can bring higher qualty content, which is what we've always strived to do.”
Last week’s show was headlined by Soda Blonde, a four-piece band who each played their parts from their own respective homes. The group have a long history with The Ruby Sessions, dating back to their time in their previous band Little Green Cars.
“When we were starting out as musicians, it was one of the first things we would have done, before we got signed,” says singer Faye O’Rourke. “I couldn't even tell you how many times [we’ve played it] – it's definitely in the 20s or 30s.
“I think it's really one of a kind. A huge part of it is the setting and Conor's personality as well. It’s an institution and a family vibe. It's something I think we'll always want to do through our career.”
Faye admits that she was intitially sceptical about how live-streamed gigs would work, but like thousands of others she has found herself sitting down every week to watch The Ruby Sessions At Home, as well as other shows like Other Voices.
“Initially I was like, 'This just isn't going to translate, it's not the same',” she says. “But it's an essential way of connecting with people and I've found that [watching it] on a Tuesday is really wholesome, and sort of a saving grace. It's an injection of normality or connectivity during the week.
“People can complain about social media, but I think it's been utilised for the best of what it is during these times.”
Conor mentions the fact that The Ruby Sessions At Home have been drawing YouTube comments from around the world – “New Zealand, Hawaii, some country I didn't even know how to pronounce” – and that he’s pleased in the interest, despite some gloomy predictions.
“I don't think people are tired of it,” he says. “There was this thing at the start – 'Every musician is doing a live stream' – but the viewers are still tuning in.”
Nobody knows for sure how long it's going to be until the pubs are heaving again, and musicians are able to connect with their fans face-to-face rather than via a webcam, but Conor believes that the live-streaming revolution will have a lasting effect on his night at least
“Everything has changed,” he says, “and if and when we get back to having Ruby's on a Tuesday in front of an audience, we definitely intend on incorporating the live stream aspect into those shows as well – in the immediate future, we're not going to be able to let 100 people into that room.
“It's vitally important to keep going and keep pushing and not accept that 'this is the way it is'. What can we bring to the table, and how can we adapt?”
From an artist’s point of view, meanwhile, Soda Blonde singer Faye O’Rourke gives live-streaming a cautious vote of confidence.
“It probably will be a feature [after the pandemic],” she says, “and I think people will be more comfortable with it in the future.
“I certainly will – I feel like I've broken a barrier in regards to using Instagram Live and those different platforms. But I hope it doesn't rival gigs.”
Click here to catch up on previous episodes of The Ruby Sessions At Home, and to make a donation to The Simon Community.